Body work is a form of therapeutic or personal development. It involves the principal of touch as healing, the manipulation of connective and muscle tissue, the use of breath work, movement and exercise.
Unlike massage, the aim of body work is to restore postural balance, body-mind integration, release of stress patterns and impaired function, and to re-educate the body-mind through touch and movement. In addition to these benefits, I also frequently use body work in my acupuncture and Chinese medicine practice in Bethesda, MD, to address chronic and acute pain problems, to speed recovery from injury, and to enhance performance.
I have found the mindful use of body work to be beneficial in balancing and optimizing function. Like acupuncture therapy or exercise, body work helps address impediments to the body-mind’s self-regulating capacity, and its ability to repair and restore which can bring improvement to many aspects of your life.
Carlos Durana, Ph.D., M.Ac., practices acupuncture and Chinese Medicine in Bethesda, MD.